ALL DONE: Cherry, border-print dress

Well, as of last night my new cotton dress is finished!

Yesterday, I added the fuller skirt (definitely the way to go), put in a lapped zipper, hand sewed on buttons, hemmed the skirt, and made a matching cummerbund.

This morning, I decided to give it a wash (I did chose cotton partly for easy care, after all).  In the wash, the cummerbund lost a bit of gathering stitches (easily mended), and the dress bodice lost some stitches tacking down the facings (another easy fix).

Post-mortem:

• I MUCH prefer using my toile/muslin as my pattern (versus using the tissue paper).  Using the waxy paper, I transferred the pattern information from the tissues to the muslin, which I later used as not only my pattern, but my underlining.
• I'm in love with underlining.  It's given the bodice great body, and since I've used cotton I've not compromised the dress' comfort.  I did not underline the skirt, which is fine, but I think that next time I will.
• Horsehair hem tape is divine, but I think that I'll try to find the better (thicker than a half-inch) tape for a full skirt.
• Fitting by my lonesome is a less-than-ideal, but necessary evil at this point.  While I have a helpful husband and daughter, I am awful at getting the information for fitting from my head to my mouth thus negating their usefulness in such an endeavor.  My dress form is a close, but not an exact match thus leading to a few inconsistencies.
• It's a mixed blessing when a dress started a week ago ends up being a touch too big by the time I'm finished thanks to more weight loss.  Yay for being closer to my pre-pregnancy size, boo for now having a slightly large dress.
• Printed border cotton will lead to some frustration when the weave shifts a touch to reveal whiter areas of the thread.  Alas, it's only a cute cotton frock.

Step Four: Scratch Head and Mumble

ARGH.

I attached the skirt and I'm now debating whether or not I should redo it.  It's okay, but not nearly as full as I'd like.  My reasons for not immediately ripping it off and adding more (I have plenty of fabric left) is that I hate, HATE, HAAATE gathering fabric.  Just gathering the fabric to attach it to the skirt, I broke the thread once and nearly dissolved into all manner of cursing.

If I had some cording, I could do the zig-zag trick, but I'm wishing instead for enough money to buy a ruffler foot.

Edited to add: I've ripped the skirt off. Now just trying to determine the best amount of fabric to give the gathered skirt a nice, full silhouette.

Step Three: Construct bodice

Pre-adjusted side-seams

My dress bodice is almost complete!

After transferring my pattern to my toile, I basted it together and attempted to fit it to myself. This is always a challenge as I loathe bugging anyone for help. Typically I a test-fit by trying the item on, observing problem areas, then putting the garment onto my dress form to make corrections.

This time the fit was largely okay--would've worked for off the rack--but was a touch large in the bust. Fit fine around the waist, though, so I just lengthened a couple of darts and made note that I still might need to take in the side seams a touch.

Checking the side-seams

Once my toile was altered, it was time to hand baste it to the fashion fabric--a process that went quicker than I figured and was more enjoyable than assumed.

Tuesday I was able to assemble the bodice. Another test-fit revealed that I would need to adjust the side seams, but it was easy work.

Post-adjustment--looks MUCH better!

The most challenging step so far was in trying to turn the bias casing that was supposed to be the button loops. I tried with my bodkin. I tried with needle and thread as suggested in the pattern directions. Heck, even Brian gave it a go. We just could get the blasted tape to turn, so I grabbed some bias tape from my sewing kit and improvised.

Letting go of glamour

I have absolutely no right to be out of house looking like I do right now.

My hair needs washing. My face needs a touch of color. My clothes are not at all flattering. In short--I'm a wreck. But such is my lot these days.

My daughter had an appointment to make. Our pantry needs restocking. These errands won't just do themselves, so I had to make the best of it. I at least managed to put on some eyebrows.

The obvious question is--why didn't I just shower and freshen up prior to leaving? To anyone wondering exactly that, I'd like to introduce my son, Declan. He is a high-needs child who demands constant care. Thankfully, he is also a cheerful, loving young boy. But wildly independent he is not. Nor does he often allow me time without him either in my arms, or at my feet.

This morning he was particularly needy. He barely let me make his breakfast. There was no chance of some mommy-time, alas.

Currently I am hiding in my car while my daughter is at her appointment. I am juggling the baby, his snack, his water bottle, and my sanity as I type this on my phone. **sigh**

And to think there was a time in my life when I wouldn't be caught dead like this... Well, frankly, I still may not want to be caught like this, but needs must, alas.

Step Two: Prepare Pattern--check!

I bought several yards of muslin a while back.  While I didn't think that I had used it all, I must have.  I have searched high and low and it's not turned up.  Today I decided that enough was enough--if I was going to get sewing, I'd damn well better do so.

And, ta-da--PROGRESS has been made!

I decided that I wanted to employ more couture techniques in my garment construction.  Even though I am working up some very easy patterns, why not add some luxurious touches, right?  I decided that I am going to underline my border dress.  I found some lovely white cotton to use as both my toile and my eventual underlining.  I pressed the fabric and readied my supplies for cutting.

Because I am adding a couture touch to this dress, I took time to mark the sewing line on all my pattern pieces.  Additionally, I used the recently acquired waxy tracing paper to transfer my pattern information from the pieces to the underlining cotton.  The large paper is a DREAM to work with!  Yes, I did have to be careful about accidentally transferring some of the wax, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it could be.  I envisioned red fingers and smears of red on my work surface, but nope.  Only got a touch of red onto my fabric where the weight of my magnetic pin cushion touched my fabric to the paper.  Not bad at all!

Had I started earlier, I probably could have made good progress on stitching my thread tracing, but I'll leave that for tomorrow.  (Or maybe tonight after my jog/walk.)

A Year in the Life of My Little Boy

It's been one year since Declan's birth, and what a year it's been!  Certainly full of some very high highs and some tragically low lows, but we're so blessed by our little fella.

Step One: Acquire Supplies--check

Have you checked out Craftsy.com yet?

Several months ago, I purchased the Sew Retro class by Gertie from Craftsy.  In it, she uses these large sheets of tracing paper to transfer pattern information to her fabric.  I figured that such paper would be easy to find at my local craft store, so set out to buy some.  Boy, was I wrong!  I struggled, and eventually settled for some small "meh" paper.  It worked, but what a pain.  Constantly repositioning my pattern pieces, and battling with the paper.  Ugh.

A few weeks ago, I decided to purchase the Couture Dress class by Susan Khalje from Craftsy.  I knew that I would be sewing a few things for some up-coming events and figured it would be lovely to add some couture elements to the garments.  Just like Gertie, Susan Khalje also uses the large rolls of tracing paper.  (If fact, it was probably Susan who turned Gertie onto the paper.)  This time, I paid closer attention to where they purchased their paper: Richard the Thread.

Come to find out, Richard the Thread is in my backyard here in southern California!  So today I finally took the time to drive up to purchase some paper.

Richard the Thread is mainly a supplier of corset-making goods.  Grommets, busks, boning, coutil, lacing cord, et cetera are all in stock at their store.  But they also have patterning supplies, dress forms, and even irons.  I was in need of their custom-made waxy tracing paper.  Each sheet is 26 inches by 39 inches and they carry a variety of colors to suit any fabric.  I picked up some red and some yellow, to cover most bases.  But they also carry a special light blue paper just for white fabrics.  (The wax on the paper is often permanent once transferred to fabric.)

The folks at Richard the Thread are lovely and very helpful, btw.  So I know that I will certainly be back at some point, not just when I run out of tracing paper.  I am already planning a corset for future.